VermontVermont Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development

Network MeetingsNetwork Meetings

What is VPDN?What is VPDN?

Regional meetings Regional meetings

for educators for educators

(K-3, 4-6, MS/HS)(K-3, 4-6, MS/HS)

in three content areas:in three content areas:

literacy, math, & literacy, math, &

sciencescience

PURPOSES of VPDNPURPOSES of VPDN

To further teachers’ understanding of Vermont’s To further teachers’ understanding of Vermont’s Grade ExpectationsGrade Expectations

To use statewide data to inform instructional To use statewide data to inform instructional practicepractice

To share/model best practices for a variety of To share/model best practices for a variety of instructional strategies in literacyinstructional strategies in literacy

To provide the opportunity for Vermont teachers To provide the opportunity for Vermont teachers to network and to share their ideas about critical to network and to share their ideas about critical issues in literacyissues in literacy

Making Connections:Making Connections:Network Teacher

Leaders

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Students

DOE Content DOE Content CoordinatorsCoordinators ask, ask,

READINGREADING Student achievement in Student achievement in analysis and analysis and

interpretationinterpretation of reading lags behind initial of reading lags behind initial understanding.understanding.

Students do not perform as well on Students do not perform as well on constructed constructed response itemsresponse items, as they do on multiple choice., as they do on multiple choice.

*New England Common Assessment Program – grades 3-8 and 11

What do our What do our statewide statewide

data* tell us?data* tell us?

DOE Content DOE Content CoordinatorsCoordinators ask, ask,WRITINGWRITING Student writing overall shows they know Student writing overall shows they know

how to focus and organize.how to focus and organize.

Student performance on both reading and Student performance on both reading and writing reflects a writing reflects a fluency with written fluency with written languagelanguage and lack of elaboration / and lack of elaboration / supporting evidence.supporting evidence.

*New England Common Assessment Program – grades 5, 8, and 11

What do our What do our statewide statewide

data* tell us?data* tell us?

Vermont’s Response?Vermont’s Response?

. . . . . . NotNot more test “prep,” but addressing more test “prep,” but addressing

classroom practice through .classroom practice through . . . . .

More intentional emphasis on

VT’s Reading & Writing Grade Expectations embedded in curriculum, instruction, and

assessment

TEACHER LEADERSTEACHER LEADERS

Network Leaders work with DOE coordinators Network Leaders work with DOE coordinators to plan and facilitate the meetings to plan and facilitate the meetings

Planning ProcessPlanning Process

Early summerEarly summer: 3-day Network Leader Summer : 3-day Network Leader Summer Planning Institute, followed by one day planning Planning Institute, followed by one day planning meeting later in summermeeting later in summer

Fall VPDN meetingsFall VPDN meetings WinterWinter: two 1-day planning meetings : two 1-day planning meetings

Spring VPDN meetingsSpring VPDN meetings

What does a Literacy Network What does a Literacy Network Meeting include?Meeting include?

VT’s Reading + Writing Grade ExpectationsVT’s Reading + Writing Grade Expectations

Reading for Critical ThinkingReading for Critical ThinkingAuthentic WritingAuthentic Writing

‘‘Use-tomorrow’ instructional strategies + Use-tomorrow’ instructional strategies + resourcesresources

Embedded technologyEmbedded technology

2121stst Century skills Century skills

Formative assessment techniques Formative assessment techniques Collaborative examination of student Collaborative examination of student

workwork

Assessment updatesAssessment updates

““Poetry Is Alive & Well in the Poetry Is Alive & Well in the VT VT Grade Expectations”Grade Expectations”

Fall 2006Fall 2006

Reasons for Daily Poetry Reasons for Daily Poetry The Daily Poem modeled (Nancie Atwell)The Daily Poem modeled (Nancie Atwell)Instructing the Reading & Writing Instructing the Reading & Writing Grade Grade

ExpectationsExpectations through poetry through poetryWebb’s Depth of KnowledgeWebb’s Depth of KnowledgeCollaborating to write Constructed Response Collaborating to write Constructed Response

questions on participant-selected poemsquestions on participant-selected poems

““Fluency for All: Expressive Writing”Fluency for All: Expressive Writing”Spring 2007Spring 2007

The Daily Poem revisitedThe Daily Poem revisited Dream Flag creation (Dream Flag creation (www.dreamflags.orgwww.dreamflags.org)) Creating Fluent Writers (balance scales)Creating Fluent Writers (balance scales) Writer’s NotebookWriter’s Notebook Engaging Boys as Readers & WritersEngaging Boys as Readers & Writers Using Drawing to Tell a Story: the Using Drawing to Tell a Story: the

Neighborhood MapNeighborhood Map

Writer’s notebookFrames

Graphic organizersScaffolding

Poetry structuresPrompted journals

Given focus

Writer’s notebookWrite from own

experiencechoice

Free writingFree verse

Write to discover

Non-directed Writing Directed Writing

““The Quest for Balance: Reading, The Quest for Balance: Reading, Understanding, and Responding to Understanding, and Responding to

Informational Text in Changing Times”Informational Text in Changing Times”Fall 2007Fall 2007

YouTube “The Book” YouTube “The Book” http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?vwww.youtube.com/watch?v=xFAWR6hzZek=xFAWR6hzZek

The World Is Flat (Thomas Friedman) The World Is Flat (Thomas Friedman) free-writefree-write What Is Informational Text? What Is Informational Text? Reading Strategies for Informational TextReading Strategies for Informational Text Writing Constructed Response questionsWriting Constructed Response questions Wikis and Blogs in the Classroom Wikis and Blogs in the Classroom and moreand more . . . . . .

““The Quest for Balance: Responding to The Quest for Balance: Responding to Informational Text in Changing Times”Informational Text in Changing Times”

Spring 2008Spring 2008

Responding to Informational Text (Assessment)Responding to Informational Text (Assessment)-- The range of Informational Text-- The range of Informational Text-- Grade Expectations-- Grade Expectations for Response to Informational Text for Response to Informational Text-- NECAP writing released task 2007: -- NECAP writing released task 2007:

http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pgm_assessment/necap/resourchttp://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pgm_assessment/necap/resources/released_items.html#07es/released_items.html#07

Literacy in Changing Times Literacy in Changing Times -- “Shift Happens” reading + free-write-- “Shift Happens” reading + free-write-- The Quest for Balance: Daniel Pink in the classroom-- The Quest for Balance: Daniel Pink in the classroom-- YouTube: “Wikis in Plain English”-- YouTube: “Wikis in Plain English”-- Using wikis and blogs and podcasts in the classroom-- Using wikis and blogs and podcasts in the classroom

Responding to Informational Text LessonsResponding to Informational Text Lessons-- -- Network leader collaboration: Network leader collaboration: http://http://networkleader.pbwiki.comnetworkleader.pbwiki.com//

K – 3:K – 3: Learn to Move, Move to LearnLearn to Move, Move to LearnJourney toward a Story – narrative writing Journey toward a Story – narrative writing

strategiesstrategiesThe Short Happy Life of TeachersThe Short Happy Life of TeachersUsing NECAP released tasks across the gradesUsing NECAP released tasks across the grades

4 – 6:4 – 6: Building Stamina in WritingBuilding Stamina in Writing`̀ Working with Writer’s NotebookWorking with Writer’s Notebook

Finding the “Writer Within” Finding the “Writer Within” 20082008

Strategies for elaborationStrategies for elaboration MS/HS:MS/HS: Simple Moves: Engaging All Learners!Simple Moves: Engaging All Learners!

Creating the conditions for FlowCreating the conditions for FlowText as writing prompt: “The 251 Club”Text as writing prompt: “The 251 Club”Collaborative commenting on student workCollaborative commenting on student work

“Engaging All Learners: Movement & Flow”

Fall 2008

Planning for Spring 2009Planning for Spring 2009

““Engaging All Students through Rigor and Engaging All Students through Rigor and Relevance” Relevance” (the Power of Inquiry, Creating the (the Power of Inquiry, Creating the

conditions for FLOW, embedded technology, movement, conditions for FLOW, embedded technology, movement, free-writing, formative assessment,…)free-writing, formative assessment,…)

Network leader collaboration through Network leader collaboration through

Web 2.0Web 2.0

Strengths of the VPDN ModelStrengths of the VPDN Model

Direct communication DOE to educatorsDirect communication DOE to educators

Consistent themes/messages across meetingsConsistent themes/messages across meetings

Collaboration of network leaders in planning; Collaboration of network leaders in planning; access to student workaccess to student work

Facilitation by classroom leaders Facilitation by classroom leaders

Questions? Comments?Questions? Comments?

Please contact --Please contact --

Marty GephartMarty Gephart

Vermont Department of EducationVermont Department of Education

marty.gephart@state.vt.usmarty.gephart@state.vt.us

(802) 828-1462(802) 828-1462